


Tribble Trouble

by rustypeopleskillz



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Boldly Bingo, Episode: s02e13 The Trouble With Tribbles, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Silly, Tribbles (Star Trek)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:55:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28834497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rustypeopleskillz/pseuds/rustypeopleskillz
Summary: My take on the TOS episode The Trouble With Tribbles, only it's set in the AOS verse. This probably won't make sense if you haven't seen the episode.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Spock
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	Tribble Trouble

**Author's Note:**

> Witten for the square "tribbles" on my Boldly Bingo card. I hope you enjoy the silly!

Now, Jim can understand Spock and Bones having a bit of a soft spot for tribbles since one of them helped bring him back to life. He can’t exactly… blame them, as such. It’s just. They are everywhere, and it’s all. Their. Fault.

Okay, so Jim blames them a little.

Shore leave hadn’t been anywhere super fancy this time around, but there was a bar, and a hotel, and really that was all they needed. Somewhere that was not the Enterprise, no matter how much they loved her. Jim worked out the leave rotations with Spock, made sure to abuse his captainly powers just enough to make sure Spock and Bones got leave at the same time as him, and called it a day.

The bar is on the seedy side, but it’s warm and full of alcohol, and Jim has great company, so he’s not complaining. Bones is on his second whiskey, just losing a little bit of that sharp edge he carries around, and Jim’s drink is sweet and tasty and shock full of too much alcohol for Bones to approve. Spock is sober and slightly amused by it all. He doesn’t mind them drinking, as long as they don’t do it to excess, and Jim doesn’t mind being laughed at while he leans forward and tells Spock that he has really, really, exceptionally nice ears, really, right Bones? So it all works out.

There’s a crowd around them, but as long as they don’t intrude on Jim’s bubble he doesn’t care. There’s enough of his crew around for him to feel safe, without feeling like he’s on duty. Really, this bar is the best.

That’s when Scotty gets into a brawl. Which Jim can’t fault him for, really, not once they’ve both sobered up a little and Scotty tells him all about the insults to their beautiful lady. He also mentions insults to Jim, but those weren’t enough to get him to lose him temper.

“I knew you wouldn’t a have been offended by that, laddie,” Scotty says, waving a hand in the air. “But the Enterprise, she wasn’t there to defend herself.”

They have a drink to the Enterprise, and then it’s too late to go back to the bar before it closes, and Jim only resents Scotty a little for taking up his shore leave time. He makes his way to the hotel, hopeful that Spock and Bones will be there waiting for him. 

“Jim!” Bones exclaims as soon as Jim enters, looking up from petting… is that a tribble?

“Bones? Is that a tribble?”

“Not just any tribble. His name is Argus.” Bones grins softly down at the small ball of fur. Judging by the size it has to be fairly young.

“Leonard insisted on naming it thus,” Spock reported, a fond look on his face from where he was sitting at the desk. Probably working, the overachiever. 

“Some guy tried to sell him to Uhura, but she didn’t want him. So I rescued him.” Bones shoots a fond, exasperated look at Spock. “Spock likes him too, don’t let him fool ya.”

“I merely said that its purrs were soothing,” Spock protests, and Bones grins and makes a _see?_ motion to Jim. 

J im eyes the tribble sceptically, not sure whether to protest or not. It doesn’t look to be breeding, but you never know with those little bastards. Bones’ hand is gentle as he scritches it, and it lets out a content hum. Jim softens. What harm could one tribble do? 

Oh,  h ow stupid he had been. So maybe it was really just Jim’s fault? He sighs resignedly and barely blinks when another tribble hits him in the head. At least most of these are dead tribbles.  He levels Spock with a look, ignoring the incensed buffoon behind him.

“No more tribbles on the Enterprise. Ever.”

“Yes, captain,” Spock says gravely, but Jim can see the laughter behind his eyes. The bastard.

“I gave Argus to the zoo keeper myself,” Bones says, trying to appear nonchalant and failing miserably. He’s sad, and Jim feels bad about that, he really does. Just not bad enough to ever allow a tribble within ten miles of his ship ever again.

“I’m sorry, Bones,” he says, laying a hand on Bones’ shoulder and squeezing. “I’m sure Argus will love it there, with all the food he can eat and space to… multiply.” He shudders. They had been _everywhere_. 

“It’s fine.” Bones leans back against Spock’s chest, settling in when Spock’s arm goes around his chest.

“I will miss his purrs,” Spock admits, and Bones grins, the first grin since he had to give Argus away.

“Hah. I knew you liked him.”

Jim settles down next to Spock on their bed, leaning his cheek on Spock’s shoulder and listening to them argue. It’s much more soothing than any tribble. 


End file.
